Spa City eatery eyes move to bigger, vacant space

Jeff Ames, owner of Cantina, stands in front of 408 Broadway where he plans to move his restaurant in May of 2018.
LAUREN HALLIGAN -- LHALLIGAN@DIGITALFIRSTMEDIA.COM

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. >> The future of the former Lillian’s Restaurant building on Broadway in Saratoga Springs has finally been determined, as another nearby restaurant has plans to expand.

Restaurant owner Jeff Ames recently purchased the 408 Broadway building for $2.2 million in early November and aims to move his business Cantina there by May 1, 2018.

Ames and his wife first opened Cantina at its current 430 Broadway location in 2007, after the couple moved from California and saw a need for Mexican food in the area.

For more than a decade Cantina has successfully operated from this location, but after thinking long and hard about moving Cantina just a few storefronts over to much larger space, Ames decided to do it.

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Located in the center of Broadway, the building has been vacant since longtime local restaurant Lillian’s closed at the end of 2015.

A previous owner gutted the restaurant’s interior, and now Ames has hired Spa City company Bonacio Construction to rebuild it into the new Cantina. Structural work and a roof replacement are currently underway, with lots more work to be done in coming months.

Ames plans to operate Cantina at its original location until the new location’s spring opening.

The owner said Cantina has reached capacity at 430 Broadway, and felt that 408 Broadway is an appropriate next step. Making this move offers solutions to all the factors that constrain the restaurant now, Ames said, mentioning the new spot’s additional room for storage and a prep kitchen. “This would alleviate a lot of those day to day difficulties.”

Interestingly, Lillian’s Restaurant once made this same exact move - from about 6,000 square feet at 430 Broadway to 15,000 square feet at 408 Broadway - decades ago. “When I heard that story, I thought, well this is quite an organic, virtuous cycle,” Ames said. “It made sense. It just all kind of fell into place, as it often does.”

Along with the first-floor restaurant, Ames plans to make the second story of his new building a private venue space with a rustic elegant atmosphere. “There’s a big demand for an event space on Broadway. It doesn’t exist right now,” Ames said.

The event space will not be Cantina-specific, Ames continued, noting that it will have the ability to serve all types of cuisine. “It will be different from Cantina in the sense that it will be able to shapeshift,” Ames said, describing events as diverse as large rehearsal dinners and corporate gatherings.

This space will also offer a physical headquarters for Airstream Catering Co., which Ames founded with partners about three years ago out of a vintage 1971 Airstream Safari.

Ames said he hopes to open the second floor venue after Cantina gets a first summer under its belt at the new location.

The lease for Cantina’s current space at 430 Broadway, is listed on the market at $699,000 with Roohan Realty, and Ames said he’s already heard from a number of interested parties.

While it will be sad to say goodbye to treasures like the old Mahogany bar at Cantina’s current location, Ames believes the added space and seating at 408 Broadway will enhance the customer experience.

Though Cantina’s original spot cannot be duplicated, Ames wants to create a familiar atmosphere for guests at the new Cantina.

“If it had been any other place I probably wouldn’t have bought it,” Ames said, but considering that it’s only about 100 feet away, even connected by the same alleyway system behind The Washington building, he went for it.

“I thought long and hard about moving from my current location,” Ames continued, adding that he only did it because he thought he could make Cantina a better restaurant.

Over the last 10 years, Ames said he and his wife have enjoyed being part of the transforming Broadway scene, and they hope to remain a part of it for many years to come.